Moon accepts resignation of senior secretary in corruption scandal

SEOUL-- President Moon Jae-in has formally accepted the resignation of his top secretary for political affairs, who has been implicated in a corruption scandal, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

The president electronically approved the resignation of Jun Byun-hun on Sunday, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.

The move came three days after Jun offered to step down as the senior presidential secretary for political affairs.

Jun, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party, is set to be summoned Monday by the prosecution for questioning over a bribery scandal involving his two former aides.

The two former aides have already been arrested on allegations of pressuring a local home shopping channel to donate 300 million won (US$274,000) to the Korea e-Sports Association in 2015, then headed by Jun.

Prosecutors believe the home shopping network offered the money in exchange for Jun's support for the renewal of its broadcasting license. Jun is said to have been sitting on the parliamentary committee on science, ICT, broadcasting and communications at the time.